Always Smile at a Dingodile
by Luatre
Summary: Just because you're a badguy doesn't mean you're a bad guy. At least not Dingodile anymore. After an interesting encounter at a racing event, Coco Bandicoot makes new friends from the 'other side' but does it prove to be a good thing? And why does Nina Cortex have such a big issue with Coco? Games referenced: Tag Team racing, Wrath of Cortex, Twinsanity, and Crash of the Titans.


It was a great day down on Wumpa Island. The sun was shining; the waves were rolling, and on the beach there laid three happy bandicoots. Crash and his sister Coco, and best friend Crunch were relaxing away their Sunday and it was about to get better when the mail arrived.

"Hey Crash, Crunch, look! We've been invited to join that tag team race going on over in Limbo Land" (This is a city where both anthros and humans live together in harmony hence the name "limbo land").

"Whoa! I can't wait! What about you crunch?" Crunch was asleep so he didn't say anything, well, not for long anyway.

"Wake up crunch! Wake up we're going to Limbo Land for the races! Wake up!"

He lurched up wildly looking around with his fists up, "WHOA! What? Huh? You wanna piece of me?"

Coco and Crash laughed at the sight. Crunch growled a little, but eventually he got up. Despite being excited to hear about the news, he was was still a little grumpy when they left. It wasn't that far away, only a few kilometres to the west and over Mojo Island (where the baddies live, just a few miles away from Cortex Castle).

"WELCOME! COME ONE COME ALL ANTHROS AND HUMANS OF ALL AGES! WELCOME TO THE LIMBO LAND TAG TEAM RACES!" the announcer belted over the speakers.

People of all ages and species were gathered around, and screams of both fear and joy could be heard coming from the many rides and attractions.

Coco was excited about race. She hadn't raced in ages.

"Oooh! There are already some people we know signed up. Ugh but they're all baddies. Neo and Nina are here, eew even that weirdo Dingodile!"

Crunch had a look at the names; He used to be on their side and still liked Dingodile. They had been really good friends and still talked occasionally ever since Dingodile became inactive (a 'nice' way of saying 'fired' by Cortex).

"Hey easy on Dingodile. He's as much my friend as you are," he said. "Plus, he's not a weirdo! Have you even met Ripper Roo?" he added.

Coco stuck her tongue out playfully at him and signed her name. Crash was hardly paying attention. He was making his way idly over to a rather dangerous looking lava pit of some kind.

"Hey crash," Crunch called to him, "you're up for the first race! Go on! You don't want to lose the race before you've even started!"

The loveable dork turned around and leaped over to the sign in area, babbling about how he was _totally_ aware of that.

Coco decided to have a look around the amusement park. She was about to try out for a prize at a balloon popping stand but a huge guy stepped in the way.

Now coco only knew the baddies' names but since she never did boss fights that often, it meant she never got to see what they looked like. The huge guy was Tiny Tiger, and Coco was _not_ aware.

"Hey you took my spot! Get to the back of the line!" she complained.

The hulking beast turned around and snarled in her face, "You look like puny Crash Bandicoot! Why crash be girl now? Why crash play games with Tiny's head?" he yelled.

Just then a slightly smaller guy stepped up. "Oi! She's not crash at all so leave 'er alone mate! And get to the back o' the line." he said.

Tiny growled at the other guy and stood over him. It was Dingodile.

"Shut up, puny dog! I put you in place!" he shouted.

"Oh really?" he asked sarcastically, "OH! What's that?" He suddenly exclaimed, pointing on the opposite direction.

"What? What is that?" Tiny asked, running after the general direction he'd pointed in. Dingo cackled as he went. Tiny never failed to amuse him.

Coco at least knew this guy, judging by his furry brown head, scaly belly, and long green tail. Apprehensively, she thanked him.

"Hey, you 'right mate?" he asked, not really as though he cared _very_ much, more like he seemed to be trying to impress her. She rolled her eyes, but responded.

"Yeah, actually. Thanks I guess…"

"Say," the hybrid continued, "I haven't seen you around before. You one of Cortex's new minions?" he asked.

Coco couldn't hold back her scoff, "Uh, no! I'm Crash's little sister… only by a year though."

He sputtered, nearly knocking over the balloon tent's table, the other people in line glaring at the two of them. They both smiled sheepishly and then stepped away, letting business continue as normal.

Dingo, clearly uncomfortable, got a little nervous and mumbled under his breath, "Oh, oh crikey, I uh, yeah… that's a thing."

He scratched the back of his head, and then coughed, "WELL! Point is Tiny's gone."

Coco nodded, "Yes, so he is." She was beginning to notice that for a bad-guy he certainly wasn't acting like one.

He noticed her staring at him and then straightened up. "Ah, jeeze, where're me manners, I ain't even said me name yet!" he paused though, looking around. Crash's little sister SURELY knew of his name, but in his mind he was hoping she didn't know what he looked like. "I'm err...Wolfgator." he lied.

Coco smiled as she realised what was probably going on. She was somewhere between flattered and creeped out that this guy seemed to be having a thing for her. They hadn't even met before! At least he seemed to be rightfully ashamed of his reputation enough to lie about his name, but that probably wasn't such a good thing either.

"Well I'm Coco. See you 'round Wolfio." She said. She left and tried to not look like she was hurrying away. She kind of felt bad seeing as he'd literally saved her fur from an angry Tasmanian tiger earlier.

Dingodile had not necessarily been trying to hit on her. He did think she was a rather pretty marsupial though, and whether he was a baddie or not he didn't like seeing girls being pushed around by bigger guys.

Dingodile thought to himself, _"She doesn't seem that bad for one of the Bandicoot clan. If only I had thought up a better name."_

"AH! Me BLOODY name!" he shouted. If he'd gone and changed his name when talking to her, he'd be totally screwed if they shouted his real name over the speakers!

He managed to miraculously change over his name, and not a moment too soon. Just then over the speaker the announcer called; "WILL THE FOLLOWING RACERS PLEASE REPORT TO THEIR CARS, CRUNCH BANDICOOT, PASADENA O'POSSUM, NINA CORTEX, COCO BANDICOOT&DINGODILE...WAIT NOT DINGODILE WE HAVE A REPLACEMENT DRIVER WOLFGATOR!"

"Hey I guess nasty ole dingo decided to leave. Hah now that's one less to worry about." Coco said, sarcastically.

Crunch immediately saw who "Wolfgator" was. He was totally unaware of the previous exchange the two had just had, but he did pick up on some vibes.

"Huh, I wonder why he's going by that name." he mentioned.

"Oh, the guy went and mistook me for some random bandicoot girl and tried showing off to me." She replied.

"Ah, I get it." He shrugged, "He tries too hard to be a ladies man." He chuckled.

"Hey, Crunch, why are you friends with him anyway? I know you two used to work together, but really?" she asked.

Crunch sighed and looked back, "Well, he's really not that bad a guy. In fact, most of the 'baddies' aren't that bad… theyre just stuck in a crummy job with no motivation to do anything else. Cortex does that to you. He makes you for one purpose and makes you feel useless if you don't do it. Folks like you me and crash are a bit more bold." He explained.

He certainly wasn't trying to talke up ALL of the evil anthros they'd come across, some of them well and truly despicable like Pinstripe Potoroo, but he DID hope that maybe Coco might come to see their side of things.

In a few minutes though, there was no more time for philosophical debates as the races began.

That DID put up a lot on her mind, however and for a moment she though back to when her brother and her had been created. It did sure feel bad to feel useless. She put that out of her mind though, and put on her tough girl face.

"Let's rock this race!" Coco thought to herself.


End file.
